McLaren to phase upgrades between the 2026 fight and next season’s car

McLaren plans to roll out its upgrades in stages, supporting its fight in 2026 while also preparing development of its car for the following F1 season. After the Singapore race, Andrea Stella set out the thinking behind the plan as the team seeks to close the gap to the fastest cars.

The McLaren team principal said he was not surprised by the lack of performance in recent races, particularly compared with Red Bull, which has brought effective upgrades to its car. “Overall, I think there are no big surprises,” he said. McLaren, he added, was where it expected to be in Singapore, while Verstappen and Red Bull were benefiting from their new parts. Stella described that back-and-forth of gains as the season’s “ping-pong”.

He also noted that upgrades can give a team a small step forward, even when its own new parts do not solve every issue. Speaking about Red Bull, he cited a three-tenths-of-a-second gap compared with McLaren, which an upgrade can, in his view, make up.

Reigning champion Lando Norris believes McLaren has the fourth-fastest car on the grid. He described driving it as “full-on and mentally draining because of how hard you have to work behind the wheel”.

Asked about the programme ahead, Stella confirmed that McLaren plans to bring further upgrades. The aim is to close the gap to the best cars and put the team in a position to earn podiums on merit. Whether it can fight for wins, he said, should become clearer around the final three races, as the upgrades will arrive in phases.

The plan is also intended to help McLaren validate aerodynamic choices for next year’s car. Stella said aerodynamic development had become complex after two years of work: some approaches may succeed, while others may not. The team therefore wants to test principles it could carry into its next car while continuing its championship fight.